


The Sound of Heartbeats

by n_dp



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M, Music, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Self-Discovery, Soulmates, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-08-15 04:42:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8042980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/n_dp/pseuds/n_dp
Summary: Everyone's hearts sang.That was what little Taiga learnt from Mother.Or alternatively: The Journey of AoKaga.





	The Sound of Heartbeats

**Author's Note:**

> An unprofitable fanwork of Kuroko no Basuke/黒子のバスケ © Fujimaki Tadatoshi, Shueisha, Production I.G, and Affiliations.
> 
> Do enjoy~! (●´ω｀●)/
> 
> ps: lack of dialogues and probably grave grammatical errors somewhere.

Everyone's hearts sang.

 _That_ was what little Taiga learnt from Mother when he complained about the sound he could hear from inside people; _Taiga was gifted_. Another thing Mother taught him was that _not_ many people were gifted and he was both lucky and unlucky to have the gift of listening. Taiga didn’t understand what it meant, but Mother said he would, as he grew up.

He, being gifted, was known _only_ by The Kagamis family of four: Father, Mother, Tatsuya, and Taiga.

* * *

 

Everyone's hearts sang differently.

 _That_ was what little Taiga noted on his fifth birthday.

If Taiga were asked to describe how his family sounded, he would simply answer: melodious and calming. Mother’s was like the sound of tingling bell, Father’s was the sound of wind. And Tatsuya’s, his brother Tatsuya, was like the sound of dripping morning dew.

That day on Taiga’s fifth birthday, Tatsuya had the most melodious song played in his heart, different- _but not really different_ -from how his usual tune, it was like the music of falling rains. He finally got himself a fiancée. Alex, with whom he had been in love for as long as Taiga could remember, finally accepted his proposal. Her heart sang merrily, and Taiga could not stop smiling as he listened to both newly engaged couple’s songs; their songs were in tune with each other, just like how Father’s and Mother’s.

Tatsuya and Alex would have good life.

Taiga was happy.

* * *

 

Everyone's hearts sang _differently_.

They could change depending on one’s mood and feeling.

When super happy, Tatsuya's heart would beat like the sound of waterfall, calming the mind. Taiga loved the sound of his brother’s heart. He often laid down on his chest just to listen to his heart. Father’s heart also sang beautifully. It was deep and warm, like sunshine (Taiga couldn’t express it, but Father’s windy song felt like the sun). He loved Father’s song.

But, he loved the sound of Mother's the best. It was like the lullaby she always sang before he slept. It was soothing, gentle, and comforting. When Mother was upset, the lullaby turned slightly disarray and sounded ugly; what originally sounded like tingling bell turned into something else. It was still the same lullaby, but it was _not_ soothing or gentle. Taiga hated the sound of _that_ song. Tatsuya and Father in bad mood also gave out bad songs that couldn’t help but made him flinched inwardly. But, still, he hated Mother’s upset song.

Taiga was glad that everyone in the family rarely played horrible songs. He was glad that Mother was mostly happy.

Their family was basically a happy bunch.

On his seventh birthday, he learnt that there was something scarier and uglier than the song of Mother's upset heart, or the songs of moody Tatsuya and Father. The chorus of angry songs made from the drumming beats of village folks was the scariest and the ugliest. Their hearts sang ugly chorus, hurting his ears; he was not hurt only inwardly, but also outwardly. It was even worse–with the bad words shouted and yelled at them–the bad words Mother said _not-good_ to say. He couldn’t help to cover his ears from the impeding sounds (he inwardly wondered why the villagers came to their door when they never once came to the village; the villagers always shunned them, like they were the ugly duck among the beautiful ducks in Mother’s tale).

"Get away from here!"

"We don’t want you here!”

"Evil shall begone from the world!"

“No one is accepting a fiend!”

Taiga wondered if the villagers were jealous because they were a bunch of happy family; he and Tatsuya and Father and Mother love each other and happy with their life. Father said some unfortunate people might be jealous of the littlest thing.

“You shall not live!”

“Begone!”

Taiga felt sad for them.

He hoped that they didn’t feel too jealous over other people’s fortune. They couldn’t live peacefully if they did so.

The family escaped the village that night, leaving the house of thousands of memories since his birth (like the _'I love Mother Father Tatsuya'_ on the wall from when he learnt how to write, or the scratch on the table from when he was angry with Father, or the small crack on the floor from when Tatsuya fell down, or the carved of _‘Tatsuya+Alex forever’_ from Taiga’s fifth birthday). The house was on fire by the time they reached the border. He cried; everything precious was in flame.

But, he was glad they were safe. Their happy family could make new memories somewhere else.

They joined Alex and Uncle.

It was not until his tenth birthday that he finally knew why they were chased; it was _not_ because they were a bunch of happy family, it was because they were _different_. It was _not_ normal _not_ to _eat any veggies_ , it was _not_ normal _not to sleep_. His very first (supposed) friend called him _monster_. Their family escaped the village that night; this time together with Alex and Uncle.

* * *

 

"We are _not_ monster, Taiga," Mother told him softly on the night their latest escape, on the night his first friend called him monster. "We are not human, yes, but we are _not_ the monster they depicted in books. Do you think we are monster?"

Mother caressed his hairs as she told him. Her embrace was warm amidst the coldness of the cave they were in.

Taiga shook his head, because Mother was never wrong, because he himself knew they were _not_ like monster.

What monster had kind smile like Mother’s? What monster had loving embrace like Father’s? What monster was awesome like Tatsuya? What monster was nice like Alex? What monster was warm like Uncle?

They did nothing like a monster’s doing. Monster didn’t smile. Monster was not huggable. Monster was neither awesome, nice, nor warm.

They were _not_ monsters.

 _Everyone likes good people,_ was what Mother told him.

 _They will eventually accept us_ , was what Taiga started believed that night.

Father patted his red tresses when he told him that.

Years passed by, and Taiga kept believing that humans would understand them eventually, even when he had stopped counting on how many times they had been chased out by humans, because they are good people, and everyone liked good people. It was when he turned on his sixties that everything crumbled. Uncle, _kind_ Uncle, died by the hands of the very human he helped. They couldn’t help him as more humans visited his home, _burnt_ him and the house to the ash. Alex' tears kept falling as they ran away to save the life of the baby inside her womb.

Sixty-four years old, Taiga stopped believing.

* * *

 

Sixty-four years old, Taiga no longer could understand why Alex (and every member of his family) still loved humans, putting them highly on the pedestal. In his own mind, they were lowly beings with unreasonable reason for hating them (Alex said they hated because they were afraid of what they didn't know about, of the unknowns, but for Taiga, it was not a reason. Humans were stupidly unreasonable. _Period_.). They even killed Uncle, who did nothing wrong. (The only thing he did wrong was helping that dying human in the wood (the same human who brought misfortune to him, who brought people to burn his house and bring him to his tragic end).)

It was funny, he thought, that humans were afraid of them, of him and his family. They hadn't done any cruel thing to humans. For years, they only ate and drink from the wild. _Never_ humans. He himself hadn’t tasted even a drop of human blood. They only ate wild animals, drink their blood.

Humans themselves did the same (minus the blood-drinking). What made them different then?

Taiga always heard the songs of humans’ hearts. They were not different from the songs of vampires’ hearts. When they were in good mood, they played good songs. When they were in bad mood, they played bad songs. What made them different?

Why humans couldn’t accept them?

What did they do wrongly?

Mother and Father, who lived separately from their children and child-in-law, said they did nothing wrong, humans were just afraid of the unknowns—the very same reasoning as Alex.

His parents still talked to him occasionally, about life in general. They were on a vampire community, far in the mountain, with deep snow to protect them from any humans, a good place to live a peaceful life until they desire to live no longer.

Tatsuya said the same thing. He added that it was fate that most humans hated vampires. As he sat with him that night on a fallen tree, he told Taiga that it was wrong of humans to hate them for who they were, but he could understand them.

“Do you like humans, Tatsuya?”

Tatsuya then smiled.

“I didn’t dislike humans,” Tatsuya told him, “after all, Alex is human, and I terribly love her.”

* * *

 

Taiga carried his niece as he sat on the balcony of a tall building. They were new on the city of diamonds, a city where people were prosperous. After century, they decided to keep moving to new place every several years, sometimes even after several months, jumping from one city to the other city to evade humans’ curiosity and humans’ hate of their being. (He was still unable to grasp the reason why Tatsuya and Alex still wanted to live within human society, after the things they did to them; burning the house, shunned them, and even killed Uncle. But, he would keep sticking to them until he understand; the couple with a daughter pleasingly let him do so.)

His niece, his sweet little niece who was sleeping, was one fourth human, had a mix of human blood and vampire blood in her veins. She had peaceful heart, beating slowly and faintly, as she was deep in her sleep. He was caressing the chubby cheek of the newborn baby, only four month old, hoping that she would find a boy whose song was in tune with hers. Hopefully all of hers would be accepted, both her human blood and vampire blood.

Humans despised vampires.

Not all vampires accepted humans.

Taiga, for all his hate towards humans, couldn’t hate Alex and her daughter. They are special cases.

(But then, he could accept some humans out there. Only a small numbers, because kind and sincere humans were just _rare_.)

Taiga smiled ruefully, suddenly thought of how years passed for him not to find any woman like that. No one was in tune with his heart. And he hoped that his niece was not as unlucky as him.

It was then he caught that particular scent.

Curiously, he jumped down carefully as to not shake the baby awake, then walking in the shade to follow it.

Everyone's hearts sang differently.

Mother's beautiful melody was replaced with that of a stranger with navy locks and equally blue eyes. Not only the heart sang beautifully, but also smelt good, smelt wonderful. The only bad thing was that the stranger was a lowly human. Even with the heavenly smell, Taiga wouldn’t sip a drop of blood. He wouldn’t let himself being tainted with even a drop of lowly human blood.

It was unexplainable why he found that melody was better than Mother’s. (Taiga disliked humans and Mother’s melody should be always the top on his favorite things.)

The stranger was gone from the city after a week, bringing a caravan full with jewelries.

(Not even after years later he could forget about the melody of the stranger’s heart as well as the tasty smell waved every time (the smell that made him thirsty). He couldn’t help but remembering the lowly human’s heart melody.

He couldn’t understand why.

That human was a _man_.

Only _man_ and _woman_ supposedly had in-tune songs. _Not_ man and man.)

* * *

 

When his niece turned seventeen, Taiga decided to go on a journey.

On his first journey away from Tatsuya and Alex and Anne, Taiga finally knew why humans were afraid of vampires. It was Hanamiya Makoto, one royal pure blood, that showed him.

He didn’t purposely met the royal man. It was merely coincidental. He was taking a route to the North when he caught conspicuous smell of strong iron. Following it, he found him and his big army of vampires were taking a rest on a crumbling village; a village that happened to be on his way. Standing a few feet away from him, he heard nothing other than the melody of lust and fear. Vampires, _his own_ _kind_ , were feasting on humans, blood spilled, bone broken, and lives gone. None of the children was even spared.

It was a gory sight.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked the currently drinking male; he was enjoying the blood of a dying teenage girl on his lap.

"Son of Kagamis, are you not?” he asked as he wiped his lips. When Taiga nodded, he laughed. “Of course. I recognize your smell; it faintly reminds me of your mother. She was a sweet woman, someone I knew since her borne. It’s saddening that she chose the path of _Tornare_. She should have chosen my path, Hanamiya’s path.”

Hanamiya apparently knew of his parents, the ones amongst little number of vampires who chose different path, something the vampire society called as _Tornare_ , the choice to drinking non-human blood, to live amongst them.

"What did you ask before? Ah, why I’m doing this? This is the era of vampires to take over, Boy! You see them?” he asked as he flunked out his arms. “They are mine and they are strong. Far stronger than the humans. We are far superior to humans!”

Taiga creased his nose. His nose was itching as the smell of iron got stronger. There were more humans’ veins torn by the fangs of the greedy vampires around him.

The proud pureblood laughed boisterously, taking attention from nearby vampires. “It was dumb of your parents and family to evade drinking from them. They have sweet smell. The best over the world. Teenage girls’ was the best, especially the virgins. It was funny to see you crease your nose like that just because you smell humans’ blood.”

Taiga shrugged. "It was true the humans smell good. But my family found it unsightly to drink from humans."

"You and your family’s foolish idea. Suit yourself."

Taiga found the reason of why humans were so unreasonably afraid of vampires. Vampires like Hanamiya made them afraid.

Hanamiya was vampire.

Vampire was Hanamiya.

With fear came the hate. Humans hated vampires because of the likes of Hanamiya.

Taiga left the area, leaving the sound of merry songs of vampires’.

They were having a feast upon the dying humans.

It was two years later that he heard about the royal blood's death. Kiyoshi Teppei was a king amongst others. The elderly vampire had long stopped from drinking humans blood, as he was one of the very first who follow _The_ _Tornare_. And it was him and his generals who made a pact with human kings to work together punishing Hanamiya for his crime. The northern region of Seirin was painted in red from both humans and vampires blood, on the end of the year after Taiga met Hanamiya.

Hanamiya was gone.

One less source of fear.

* * *

 

Taiga kept going on his journey, following his instinct to keep moving forward. It was forty years after he started his journey that he went back to Tatsuya’s home. It was currently located in the middle of a wood, somewhere on the hidden area where humans rarely passed. Anne had grown into a fine young girl. Taiga could see Alex in her. With her flowing blond hairs, she was like Alex’ twin.

Taiga looked for meal sometime before the sunset, getting himself a snake who intercepted his effort to catch a deer.

Thirst gone and feeling full, he decided to sit under a big tree near the river, watching the sky turned orange. He was reminiscing of his past journey, the stories Tatsuya, Alex, and Anne were fond of to hear. It felt nice to be back with family.

He learnt many things.

He learnt to accept humans and their fear and hate of vampires.

He learnt to appreciate the good things about humans. Despite their short living age (at least compared to vampires that could even reach thousands), they lived to the fullest. Sure, some of them were wasting their life, hurting their hearts to the point that Taiga didn’t want to hear their songs. Even when they were happy, their hearts didn’t play good songs. They simply wore masks.

Not many people had beautiful melody. It was even rarer to find the melody on par with Mother’s. The most similar melody came from mothers who loved their kids dearly. And Taiga was glad he could hear the calming melody of Mother’s; Mother definitely loved Tatsuya and him dearly.

Taiga was yet to meet two people with the same melody, the same heart song, and even smell. Yet there was him, frozen on his seat, smelling what he remembered of a navy haired man with piercing dark blue eyes. It was when the sun had gone that across him, the bush rustled. A male in black attire suddenly walked out.

The boy was tan, so tan because of the burning sun. He looked young, someone in his late teens, perhaps around twenties and he looked not older than Taiga ( _well,_ advantage of being vampire). With him, there was a barking brown dog, baring its teeth to Taiga. (Taiga shuddered, still remembered that time when a big devil black dog bit his leg when he was small.)

"What are you doing here?" the boy asked him, restraining his dog who seemed wanting to approach Taiga; its heart beat erratically, he guessed that it knew of his true nature.

Taiga didn’t answer. He kept sitting and watching him as the boy walked across the river to approach him. His dog, who already stopped barking, was in his embrace, whining lowly.

"Is there prohibition to venture inside the wood?" Taiga asked when he was close enough.

Blue eyes looked sharp and long navy tresses braided tied simply with black tie. He looked skeptical, walking to Taiga as if he was approaching a wild animal ( _Good_ , he thought, _I might be dangerous for you, Human_ ). On his back was a basket full with a dead body of a deer. It smelt fresh blood. Taiga realized belatedly that that was the same deer he failed to catch.

The boy shrugged, brows furrowed. “Don’t you know that this is my place? _Only I_ can win the wild animals breathing around here.”

Taiga snorted as he leaned back on the tree. “Only _you_ can win wild animals? I don’t see any wild animals here.”

The boy twitched. “They come out in the night.”

“So?”

“You shouldn’t be here!”

Taiga laughed. “ _Yeah. Yeah._ Whatever. I want to sleep.”

“ _Heh_. Did you lose your way back to the village?”

Taiga shrugged.

“ _Oh._ You _are_ lost!” the boy smirked, coming to conclusion. “Rest assured. This _ME_ will bring you back to the village.”

Snorting, Taiga closed his eyes, deciding to ignore the boy until he went away.

The red haired Kagami didn’t know when he fully slipped into his trance (something akin to sleeping for vampires). He was surprised to find a cloth covering his body and burning woods that warmed him. On his left was some slices of roasted deer. Across was the boy who slept curling around his dog. The dog was glaring at him. Baring its sharp teeth when it realized he was awake.

Taiga left them.

The next week and following weeks, it seemed that he always met the boy (“I’m The Great Daiki! Keep that in mind, Stupid!”) in the wood. Not only once he fled to avoid meeting him. But not only once he caught him. The navy haired boy kept coming back there, to the point where his dog no longer barking upon his sight.

It was Daiki who decidedly approached him actively. He sought his name and the reason why he was in the wood.

On their seventh encounter, Taiga finally lost his mind. “What the hell do you think you are doing?”

“Me? I’m just hunting wild animals.”

“Why are you following me?”

“I’m not!”

Taiga slanted his eyes as he gripped the lion he captured tighter. “Fine. Then, go that way and I will go this way.”

“Fine! I will go this way.”

But—

Daiki kept appearing. He always found ways to meet Taiga in the wood, bringing the result of his hunt as well. If Taiga got a rabbit, he would bring two rabbits. If Taiga caught a lion, Daiki would bring a boar. It seemed that the blue haired boy felt like challenging the red haired boy.

“Stuuupid, I get bigger snake than yours.”

One time, both get snakes, and Taiga felt his patience snapped at Daiki’s taunt. “I have name, Dumbass! It’s Taiga! Kagami Taiga!”

“ _Ohhh_. Taiga, like _tiger?_ _Rawwwrrrr_ …”

“Why you—”

After that, both of them sort of having friendly rivalry. Many moons after the start of their _sorta-friendship_ (because neither accept the term of friend), not once Taiga told him of his true nature. Yet, Daiki kept coming back. He often brought something from the village. It had been countless that he asked him to visit the village with him, yet Taiga refused.

He couldn’t be closer than that. Daiki was human. And humans hate vampires. (Daiki heart sang merrily every time they met each other, under the same tree from their first encounter, under the starry sky, right under the watching eyes of Sebastian, the dog. Daiki seemed to have fallen in love. Yet, Taiga couldn’t believe that because no man fell in love with another man. (But the feeling was there, it was real. And Taiga’s heart sang together with Daiki’s.))

On Daiki’s nth visit, he was bitten by a venomous snake, leaving himself half dead a few feet away from the river; Sebastian already dead not so far away from him. He was almost losing consciousness completely when Taiga approached him. Without further ado, the vampire bit him, sucking the last drop of venomous blood. It was the first drop of human blood flowing into his body.

Taiga felt shattered.

Daiki completely lost consciousness, probably with the memory of glinting fangs stuck in his flesh.

When he woke up, Taiga was cleaning his wound.

Surprised, the young man flinched, accidentally kicking Taiga’s hands. “I’m sorry!” he squeaked, before hissing in pain.

“It’s okay.”

Taiga smiled, yet his eyes didn’t reflect his smile.

Anne, Alex, and Tatsuya, continued to nurse him to health. Taiga never came anymore. And when he asked them where the red hair was, they only smiled before shaking their heads. Until one day, Alex was bringing foods for him, some vegetable soup that tasted good and a glass of water. She then sat stood near the window, watching some birds passed by. Daiki ate the food slowly.

When he was done, Alex suddenly asked him. “Do you love Taiga?”

“….”

“Taiga never told us where he went. But one day, I followed him. You were with him near the river.”

“We often met there.”

“You are special. That was what I concluded that day. You might be special for Taiga. Is Taiga not special for you?”

Daiki didn’t answer her.

“Do you love him?”

Daiki didn’t answer her once more.

But when the day he was fully healthy and able to reach his village, he stood in front of Tatsuya and Alex who saw him off. His face expressed mixed feelings. "Lady Kagami, what is love between man and man? Nothing will result from it.”

Alex smiled. “Love is something you will learn. What love is what you yourself decide.”

Daiki looked hesitated before he asked: “He drinks blood. Is it alright?” he asked slowly.

Tatsuya and Alex exchanged look.

Tatsuya shook his head. Without saying anything, he turned to leave.

Alex called him, but got ignored. She sighed. “Pardon Tatsuya’s doing, Daiki.”

“I … did I say something wrong?”

“You know, Daiki. My father was a vampire. My mother was not.” She said softly before she turned to follow her husband, leaving him alone. The sky was blue without cloud. It was sunny day.

That night, Taiga left his brother's house when the pair was out hunting for meals. He only asked Anne to extend his farewell to her brother and sister-in-law. With a hug, he told Anne to send the address of their new home when they moved somewhere to Father and Mother so that Taiga could keep track like usual. He would be visiting.

(Years later, when he visited to meet his newly born nephew, Tatsuya told him that Daiki came back the day after he went travelling, determined to see him. He asked his brother a question: "He died of old age, with children and grandchildren, didn’t he?"

It didn't matter for him. If his was not a true love, he didn't matter.)

(Even when in reality, he cried for him. Fear made their love crumbled.)

(He knew Daiki was in love with him. Even when they were both men.)

(He was in love with Daiki. Even when they were both men.)

(His heart didn’t really sing joyous song.)

* * *

 

It was another century when Taiga met Daiki. The era had changed. In this era, not so many vampires were around, and most of them lived somewhere far away from humanities. They were not easily found and somehow, only glitter of people believed the existence of vampires. Taiga didn’t know how to feel about that.

It was Clive Satsuki who introduced Taiga to Daiki, her only son.

Rainy season was prone to accidents. This time was the Clive household that was unlucky enough. Their carriage, that was on their way back from the central, slipped down a cliff. The carriage was completely wrecked. The passengers, one coachman and one maid died from blood lost, leaving one middle aged woman in the verge of death.

Taiga found a woman, blood drenching her blue dress. She smelt wonderful, tempting Taiga to drink her blood, strongly tempting. However, the faint song from her heart stopped him. It was the melody of longing and love. It reminded him of Mother's song. That night, Taiga brought the dying woman to his hideout in the middle of the wood.

Taiga nursed the bleeding woman as much as he could, so far based on his knowledge over humans’ health. He was glad the woman was not poisoned of something that he had to sip her blood. The memory of his very first sip of human blood still fresh in his mind. It was still hurting.

" _Nnngh_ ," the woman moaned.

Taiga was frozen. He was in the middle of having a meal from a bunny (he hadn’t eaten for weeks, and with the woman in his home, it was better for him not to take a risk). His lips were still wet and red from the bunny's blood. Heart beating fast, he waited for the woman to completely aware of her surroundings. He knew, the woman _would_ be afraid.

Indeed, when she gained clear consciousness, her eyes were finally dilating with what Taiga believed as horror and terror. Even though Taiga expected her reaction, he didn’t expect it to still hurt.

Even after decades, it still hurt to see people think of you as _monster_. He had feeling, and it hurt. It reminded him of his first friend who called him _monster_.

Taiga slowly wiped his lips with a rag before he smiled. "It’s good that you gained consciousness. Your wound seems almost healed.”

The woman didn’t react. Her eyes were still dilating.

“I’m sorry for surprising you. But I didn’t do something bad to you,” Taiga paused. “There was honey in the jar and bread on your left. If you feel strong enough, west from here was river. I made a small boat. I hope you know how to use it. Because if you follow the current, you eventually will find a village. Seek help to return home from there."

The red haired male said before he went out, bringing the bunny with him. Spots of blood trailed behind him. He paused by the door and informing the woman: “The people with you didn’t survive the accident. I buried them near the river if you are wondering.”

Two weeks later, Taiga was unsurprised to find the woman gone from his home. _Of course._ Of course, she would go as soon as she was able to. Not all humans would accept vampire’s existence. Taiga believed that that awkward moment was the last time he met the beautiful middle-aged woman. However not one month later, the woman came back with a little girl and a bulky man on her toe.

“My name is Satsuki, the matriarch of Clive House. What could be the name of my savior?” she asked after she sat down on the same table where Taiga ate his bunny. The little girl and the man were waiting outside the house.

"I'm not a savior. You were just on my way home."

“But still, you saved me. Please tell me your name.”

Taiga was close-lipped.

Awkward silence was what followed that until Satsuki cleared her throat. "I ... truly feeling gratitude towards your help. What may become of me if you didn’t help me? I kept thinking about that. I also kept thinking about the thing I did back then. It was not right of me.”

Taiga sighed. “No, it was a normal reaction. It was not your fault to have normal reaction.”

“I think it was even mild reaction,” Taiga added. “Many people would scream and shriek upon that sight. Yet you were only getting speechless.”

Satsuki’s cheeks were tinted red. "Still, it was ungrateful of me to do that. I’m still embarrassed.”

Another awkward moment followed after that. Outside the house, the little girl was talking with the man in soft voice. She was asking about almost everything in sight. From what kind of tree that was, to how old was a tree to grow that tall and if she could grow as tall. It was sudden that Satsuki suddenly said: "Come with ne, Child."

Her eyes seemed determined.

"Lady Clive (“Please, call me Satsuki,” said Satsuki), I'm not a child. I'm far years older than you, borne even before your parents’ parents were born."

“You look young, as young as my son. Although I admit you have mature eyes. But still, for me, you are a young man. Please come with me."

Taiga refused.

It was the matriarch’s tenth visit that Taiga gave up. She brought with her her husband. The husband already knew of his nature. And even so, he still wanted Taiga to move in to their house. He even promised with difficult roundabout way that they would provide Taiga his meal (known as blood, _mostly_ ). However, it was not the promise of the patriarch that moved him. It was the melody of his heart. It sang harmoniously with his wife's. Their melodious songs reminded him of his parents whom she hadn’t visited for a while.

He told them his name during the way to their house.

A young man (the one Lady Clive proudly informed him as her only son) was waiting outside the door alongside the lines of servants and maids. He was a bit pale, compared to the skin tone of his parents. He seemed having problem with his health. When the carriage stopped, Lord Clive helped his wife out of the carriage. While the young man approached him.

"My name is Daiki of Clive. It was a pleasant surprise to finally meet Mother’s savior.”

Twice might be coincidence, but three times were fate. It seemed that the fate brought Daiki back to Taiga. They met one more time. Taiga didn’t want to put his hope high. Learning from his first two times which ended in the sadness on his part. But Daiki’s eyes, his blue eyes were vibrant, despite the sickly look he had. And his hairs, were dark blue, tinted with grayish color.

“I’m Kagami Taiga.”

True to Lord Clive words, they provided Taiga with his every need. Taiga could stomach the meats, but not vegetables. And every day, he sat with The Clives on the same dinner table, given the same foods (minus the vegetables). And every few weeks, the Master of the house asked him if he wanted to drink blood. He more often than not, refused his offer.

Over all, for the first time, Taiga felt warm among humans. Only some trustee of The Clives knew of his nature, but it was okay. It was better that way, because it might cause uproar if suddenly a vampire was living in the house.

Lady Clive was kind woman. She often brought Taiga to shop with her, explaining whatever humans use this time.

And Lord Clive liked to play chess with him. Not once Taiga beat the elder, but he always asked Taiga to play. (“You can win after losing this much, Taiga.” And Taiga couldn’t help but feeling suspicious that the lord asked him to play because he always lose to him.)

And Daiki. Clive Daiki was a curious human being. Being sick since kid made him lack experience upon the outside world. He liked to hear stories from Taiga’s journeys (and on occasion, Lord and Lady Clive joined them in the garden to listen). He would explained everything as detailed as he could. From the time he met Hanamiya. To when he was in the island of females where males were prohibited from entering. He almost lost his life that time.

“They do?”

Daiki was staring in awe. Taiga found himself enjoying the boy’s company. He was different from the Daikis from before. He was curious and liked to smile and laugh. Some bad days when he was only able to lay in his chamber, Taiga companied with Satsuki, would visit him and tell him stories. The smile on his lips before he dozing off was worth it.

Taiga was telling him a story on how a tribe proposed.

“They do,” Taiga answered him.

Daiki stood on his left knee in front of Taiga who sat on the bench in the garden. His left palm was facing upwards with a few primroses. “Is it like this?”

“Yes. And they hold hands.”

Daiki held Taiga’s right hand inside his hand. “Is it like this?”

“Yes,” Taiga answered, laughing. “But it was for woman, you stupid young master!”

Daiki was often like that, posing and imitating the stories Taiga told him. He was truly like a child.

Taiga liked this Daiki. His heart always sang beautifully. And if Taiga thought the previous Daiki had the most beautiful melody played, he was wrong. Because this Daiki, this Daiki had far best melody. The melodious song and the rumbling of his heart. Somehow, it reminded of something from long long long time ago. It was—

Taiga gasped as realization hit his mind.

“Taiga, would you give me your hand in marriage?”

Daiki was proposing.

“Daiki— I— This…”

After few weeks of thinking and much more encouragement from both Daiki’s parents, Taiga finally accepted his proposal. It was happy day on their marriage. Taiga sent letters to his family of his marriage. The following week, letters and gifts were sent to his and his newly husband. Everyone he held dear was happy for him.

Every day following that day was happy days (occasionally it turned less-than-happy when Daiki’s sickness came. But it was for the best; Daiki’s happiness was the manor’s happiness).

As many thing had their ends. Taiga’s happy life with Daiki also came to end.

Twenty years after marriage, after passing the days together in happiness and sadness, after Taiga told him about the previous Daiki and the more previous one, he had to accompany Daiki on his deathbed. He looked so pale and sick that Taiga felt hurt. His tears might fall at any moment. And if it was not because Daiki made him promise not to cry, he might have cried.

"Daiki...," Taiga caressed Daiki’s face softly, his face were pained.

"I love you, Taiga. Remember that. If, if we ever meet again in my next life, I'm sure I will love you again, so promise me you will.”

Daiki was buried on the backyard the mansion, along his families (Lord and Lady Clive had passed away the previous year during a genocide in the central city; it was lucky that both of their bodies could be retrieved). Taiga didn't come out of their room for a month before leaving the mansion with a single letter for Awke’s family to take care of the mansion (they were the most trusted by the Clives; the little girl outside of Taiga’s house had transformed into a beautiful young lady).

Taiga went back to Father and Mother, bringing only a single ring as a reminder of his married life with the last of The Clive House.

Everyone's heart sang differently.

After his most favored song died with his most beloved friend and mate, he didn’t think he would be able to mend his heart from the heartbreak. He cried in Mother's embrace.

("Taiga, if you are destined to meet him, you will. Until then, keep waiting and looking, he may be there. Just like before, but with better ending.")

(Father only patted his tresses, much more like when he was little and reached only Father’s knees.)

* * *

 

Centuries passed to the point when vampires were no more than a myth and animals were no longer aware of the nature of vampires. For them, vampires were only humans with slightly different smell. But then, smell could be manipulated. The smell of rose, of jasmine, of both; it was easy. Perfume was too many kinds to remember. It was already modern where everything could be manipulated, could be covered.

Taiga favored the modern era. It was not because his scent could be disguised, leaving him to walk calmly even in front of a house with a dog. _No_. they have the best thing called music and headset and walkman. It was the best thing. Ever since his birth, the only music for him was the melodies from people's hearts. They were sad, he was sad. They were happy, he was happy.

He was now six hundreds.

He liked listening to music.

Suddenly, as he was listening to his iPad, there was breaking through the music, breaking through the cluster of voice around his, there was _that_ sound. The sound he longed to hear. Surprised, he stopped walking. People bumped into him, but he didn’t care.

A young boy in uniform walked past him. Not unlike his previous lives, he had navy locks reached his shoulder and blue eyes, now framed with black rimmed glasses.

_Badump. Badump. Badump._

Frantically, Taiga turned his body, looking for the boy with his eyes. Finding him, he quickly moved his feet, following the boy’s trace. He stopped on the bus stop, ready to going up a yellow bus. He was only flicker of seconds later after the bus drove past him.

"D—"

It was miracle when through the bus window; a pair of blue eyes met his. Taiga finally found him before losing him again.

The second time it happened, the boy was walking down the street with a basketball. Taiga was riding on a cab. It was luck that they clashed stare one more time since the first time he saw him on the bus stop. When he stopped the cab and went looking for him, he had left, leaving nothing but impression of deep blue eyes from their locked stare previously.

Maybe they were not destined together after all.

* * *

 

Everyone's heart sang differently.

And it had been long time he listened to them secretly. He just needed to stand still and he could hear, he could listen. The songs from mothers’ love for their children were his favorite. When he couldn't hear Mother's song, he would listen to mothers' song. They were beautiful, but not better than Mother's. The only song ever passing hers was of Daiki’s. Only Daiki’s song could make his own heart sing.

Sitting on a bench, Taiga hummed a tune, following one of mothers' melodies who played with her daughter. Smiling lightly, he start making up lyrics. Eyes closing, he tapped his leg lightly and sang softly.

It was not until the melody he followed turned softer (as the mother and daughter went farther from where he sat) that he realized there was another melody more beautiful. It was loud and close by. Opening his eyes, it was clearer. His right side was warmer with someone's body heat.

"Hey."

Taiga took a deep breath before turning his head to meet eye-to-eye with a boy’s. "Yes?"

"My friend is looking for a vocalist. Your voice sounds nice. If you are interested, maybe you could audition?"

It had been too long since he heard that voice, the voice was velvety and smooth with an edge of roughness. It was one of his favorite sounds over the world; as long as his long age he couldn’t stop liking the sound.

"So…?”

"Ah, sorry. What is it?"

"My friend is looking for a vocalist. It's a local band with friends as members. Next month there will be a competition for a label, but his band’s vocalist dropped out because of something."

"...and you want me to join audition?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

The boy frowned. Clearing his throat as he scratched his blue tresses, he answered: "Well, I listened to you just now. Not that I found it good. Just that it sounded suitable with my friend’s music."

Taiga snorted. _That_ ego was just… “What kind of band is it? Aren't I too old? I'm not in school any longer," Taiga stated as he gestured towards the uniform the boy wore.

“You know, pop and something. And it’s fine. You don’t look that old. We can manipulate your profile a bit. You can't be that much older.”

Taiga lifted his left brow. "You will be surprised of my age, you know. And manipulating is a crime. A _crime_."

It’s the boy’s turn to snort. “Who cares about that. So, you in?”

Taiga laughed at the bluenette's response. “I like your style. My name is Kagami Taiga. What’s yours?" Taiga asked as he extended his arm to shake the boy’s hand.

In each live, the blue haired male with a pair of striking blue eyes were named the same. His parents could be Eric and Lauren, or Albert and Joanne, or Pat and Lenaire, or even Redra and Gladts. But his name was always, always—

" _Daiki_ ," he accepted his handshake. "Aomine Daiki.”

Everyone hearts sang differently.

One could be like the singing bird. Or it could be like the falling rains. But, Taiga was awed by the sound of one human named Daiki. He was what he despised, but there was only one Daiki in every era he found him. Yesterday he was Clive Daiki, the curious young man who was sickly but loving. Today he was Aomine Daiki, the boy with blue tresses and equally blue eyes framed by black rimmed glasses, heart sang like the sound of the wind amongst trees. His own heart felt complete, singing altogether with Daiki’s.

His heart soared.

The melody was joyous, melodious.

Happy.

He was happy.

(Daiki’s heart sang not so differently than his.)

(Daiki would be in love with Taiga, like he promised.)

(But maybe, he had already been in love with him.)

“Hey, by the way, you play basket?”

Taiga grinned widely as he accepted the orange ball Daiki threw at him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comment is loved~ (つ´,,・ω・,,`)つ


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